The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-03-10
PENITENTIARY SUPPORT.
SENATOR ADAMS SPEAKS In IA.
NOR OF REDUCTION.
several Senators Speak..SOme for and
Some Against-.But No Reduction IL
Made.

Several Senators Speak--Some for and
Some Against--But No Reduction IL
Made.
Senator II. Is. Adams.-not ONLY the
handsomest but one of the most level
headed aud useful Senat ors-offered an
amendment to the bill to appropriate
800, 600 to the Penitentiary, directing the
Directors OF the Penitentiary to hire out
enough conviots to help pay the expenses
of that institution. His amendment pro-
vided for 800, 900 appropriation for 1887
and $4,000 for 1888. During the en-
tire session Senator Adams has consis-
tently and ably opposed every appro-
priation that seemed to him extrava-
CANT Sometimes disagreeing with him.
the CHRONICLE nevertheless desires to
put it on record that during the entire
sixty days Senator Adams has borne him
self SO as to win the respect of his asso-
ciates and to deserve the continued conf
dence of his constituents.
Upon his amendment Senator Adams
spoke in substance as follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: The figures Just read
by the Senator from Johnston prove to my
mind the necessity Of curtailing the appro-
priation made to the penitentiary. $1b,-
900 to *1o, 900 per month for supporting
palatial residence for criminals who live
as well, are fed as well and are clothed Is
we'll or better than those who are in the
charitable institutions of the State-it
seems to me this is extrayAgant and ought
to be reduced. l send forward An amend
ment, which l desire the Clerk to read
Now Mr.. President, before any Senator
upon this floor was permitted to take his
seat, he was required to take an oath to
support the Constitution of the State.
That oath | consider binding upon my
conscience, as 1 know every Senator upon
the floor does upon his.
Art. II, Sec. II of the Constitution
reads as follows: '.It shall be steadily
kept in view by the Legislature and the
Board OF Public Charities, that all penal
and charitable institutions should be made
as nearly self-supporting as is consistent
with the purposes Of their creation"
This section of the Constitution is clear
cut in its language and is easily compre-
hended. II it means any thing, and no
one will say that it was placed in the Con-
stitution to fill up that instrument and be
treated as surplusage, it means that it is
to make such legislation as will put the
convicts of this State u ION paying basis
put them upon such basis as will save
to the people of this State, the tax payers,
a sum, which amounts to nearly one fourth
of the taxes collected for general purposes
by direct taxation. Think Of it $l21 900
to support the criminals of the State, paid
by the tax payers, out of their hard earn
ings made in their impoverished condition
by the sweat of their faces to do what9
Why, sir, to furnish convict labor to com
pete with the honest labor of North Car
Olina.
There are now on the line of these rail-
roads, to which convicts have been as
signed, numbers Of men, who, on account
of the hard times resulting from failure
of crops and the general financial depres-
sion. which the State is experiencing,
would be glad to have an opportunity OF
working on these IA lrOads at sixty five or
seventy-fve cents or dollar u day, but
instead of having this chance to earn an
honest livelihood, the convicts are given,
yes. given TO railroads owned by private
individuals. and the cost of feeding, cloth
ing, guarding and transporting them, rs
well as the medical attention necessary
for them is paid out of the hard earned
money, the attenuated pocket books of the
men, who are begging for work, that they
may support themselves and their chill
dren. Will the people Of North Carolina,
who pay the taxes and support the govern
ment endorse the action of this Legislature
in putting upon the railroads free convict
labor. No, sir. via the people who pay
from their county treasures, the costs Of
prosecuting and convicting criminals, en-
dorse this action? No, sir. Will the peo-
pie of the State who pay the several sheriGs
in the State the cost OF transporting con-
victs to the penetentiary, endorse such
action, think not. Will the tax payers,
who are taxed to pay the cost of trans
porting these convicts from the peniten-
tiary to the railroads, and then Of cloth
ing, feeding and guarding them, 80 that a
rich corporation or syndieke Of wea thy
such action on the part Of its representa-
tivesl Never.
Now, Mr.. President, do not propose by
the amendment which l have offered, to
handicap the Directors of the Penitentiary,
or place them at the mercy or under tho
control of the railroad corporations Of the
State, by making an insufficient appropria-
ton for the support Of the Penitentiary,
for you will observe that the amendment
provides for the support Of that institution
by giving for the first year the sum of
*lO0, 900 and 81, 900 for the second year,
thus giving to the Directors ample time
before the appropriation for the second
year i. cut down An opportunity of making
contracts for the hire Of the conyicts SO
that there will be an income during the
second year of more than *25, 900, the
difference between the appropriations for
the two years. The Senator from johnson
informs the Senate (and he ought to know,
as he is the Chairman of the Committee on
Penal Institutions that 100000 will be
sufficient to pay the current expenses of
the Penitertiary, especially as the bill
provides for the purchase Of supplies by
the authorities after advertisement for
persons to make offers for furnishing sup
plies If this be SO, l am sure *25, 900 and
more can be realized from the hire of able
bodied convicts. This provision, l mean
the provision requiring advertisement for
parties to furnish supplies at the lowest
figure, will amount to a large saving in the
expenses of the Penitentiary. With all
these savings, it does seem to me that the
Penitentiary ought to be run with the ap-
preparation which the amendment pro
poses. Let US do our duty, let US cut down
the enormous drain upon the Treasury Of
the State, let US do as the Constitution re-
quires us to do, make the Penitentiary as
nearly self supporting rs is consistent with
the idea Of its creation, and when we have
gone home to render to our constituents